WIRRAL people will be hit hard if more post offices close, MPs warned last night.

Three offices have already shut this year, two others have been earmarked for closure and more may follow.

Now the MPs are joining forces to stop the closures which they say will damage the area and leave elderly residents isolated and vulnerable.

The post offices on New Chester Road, in Eastham and Liscard Road, Wallasey, have already gone and last week the 100-year-old outlet in Frankby village shut.

The office on Banks Road, West Kirby, and another in Caldy have been lined up for closure.

More could follow in sweeping changes across the region and the country.

Post Office Ltd is refusing to confirm which branches could be destined for closure, but it is feared offices in Allport Road, Bromborough, Borough Road, Wallasey, Dacre Hill, Rock Ferry, and Broadway in Bebington, as well as the branches in Fender, Birkenhead, and Wheatland Lane, Wallasey, could be among those under threat.

A huge petition, set up by residents, is touring West Wirral demanding a stay of execution.

Stephen Hesford (Lab, Wirral West), who has written to Post Office Ltd, said: "I have had many distressed constituents contact me and I am going to investigate how this can be stopped.

"I have deep sense of unease about these moves. They will hit the elderly population particularly hard and I am not convinced of the need for closure and I am certainly not convinced that the remaining post office in West Kirby, for example, would be able to cope with future demand.

"I do not accept that these are either necessary or justifiable, nor do I accept that they are not viable as businesses and that the remaining alternative, based as it is in a cramped chocolate shop, would be in any way adequate to service the local population."

Ben Chapman (Lab, Wirral South) added: "The post office is at the centre of the community and I would regret any closures.

"It is difficult to get the overall picture from the post office because they deal with them one by one and have written to them seeking more information.

"But if any were earmarked for closure here, I would take the necessary steps to fight it."

A spokesman for the Post Office Ltd said: "Proposals to close post offices are not made without considerable research and discussion so we are anxious that customers and all relevant organisations understand why we consider it necessary to reduce the size of our network.

"The harsh reality is that many urban offices are struggling to survive because there are too many branches for the amount of business."

And the problem doesn't just worry those in Wirral.

Andrew Miller, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston said: "The real issue is for people to use these places if they want them kept open. That is the case in Wirral, here in Cheshire and the country over."

The consultation period over the latest two proposed closures is now over and a decision on their futures will take place in early July meaning they could shut their doors by August.

Many residents say they are worried by the threat.

Civil servant Andy Siddle, a married father-of-two from West Kirby, said: "How far can the Post Office go with these closures.

"I hardly use them myself but imagine the impact on those that do, especially in the more remote areas like Frankby.

"They are vital village resources. It must be understood that they don't just sell stamps. They are regarded as handy shops and the hub of the community and their closure is bad for the area and bad for the fabric of the country."

And Cynthia Southern, a mother of three, said: "The Banks Road post office is vital to this end of West Kirby.

"The alternative is to queue for interminable lengths of time in the main one further away.

"I am absolutely appalled that this service is being taken away - it is only designed to make life harder for everyone.

"There are so many who need it, not just the vast elderly population round here, but young families too.

"It's part of my social network and if it's part of mine it's part of other people's as well."